Investor’s Guide to Hard Money Lending
Expert interviews, practical tips, and the latest market updates to help you make informed decisions about financing, flipping, and building your investment portfolio. Learn how hard money lending can become a powerful resource on your investment journey.
Episodes

Friday Oct 17, 2025
Friday Oct 17, 2025
In today’s challenging real estate market, efficiency and scalability are more critical than ever. In this episode, Alyssa is joined by Michelle Amen, a Memphis real estate veteran and representative of CoreAssist, to discuss how virtual staffing—specifically remote team members (RTMs) from the Philippines—can help investors, wholesalers, and contractors transform their business.
Drawing on nearly 24 years of industry experience, Michelle shares actionable strategies and insights into leveraging virtual assistants to streamline operations, scale businesses, and build lasting success.CoreLend Financial
https://corelendfinancial.com/
We are experienced local Memphis and Birmingham investors and Hard Money lenders. We care about your success and only fund loans we’d do ourselves.
Have questions? Let’s talk! Schedule a free call: https://calendly.com/alissa-fowler

Wednesday Oct 01, 2025
Wednesday Oct 01, 2025
Investors! This week agent Jordan Ray from EXP Realty stopped by to share some useful insights and some wild stories from the field. Jordan's no stranger to hard money lending and he just recently had a deal going with Corelend. Hear how he finds unicorn deals in Memphis even when numbers are getting tighter, ARV’s are dropping, and appraisals are getting lower and lower.
We also discuss:
How to navigate appraisals
Key areas in Memphis where he’s seeing success
The importance of professional photography in real estate listings
Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting out, this episode is packed with valuable information to help you navigate the ever-changing landscape of real estate. Don't miss out on Jordan's expert advice and unique experiences!
CoreLend Financial https://corelendfinancial.com/
We are experienced local Memphis and Birmingham investors and the most experienced local Hard Money lenders. We care about your success and only fund loans we’d do ourselves.
Have questions? Let’s talk! Schedule a free call with Alissa: http://calendly.com/alissa-fowler

Wednesday Oct 01, 2025
Wednesday Oct 01, 2025
Welcome to Episode 14 of the CoreLend Podcast Series: The Investor’s Guide to Hard Money Lending!
🎙️ In this episode, we sit down with Brian Trippe, a Birmingham-based REAL ESTATE ENTREPRENEUR with over a decade of experience building businesses in the real estate space.
Since launching his investing career in 2012, Brian has founded multiple companies, including:
🏠 Alabama Cash Deals, Inc. – a marketing company that locates property bargains across central Alabama.
🏢 205 Realty – a full-service brokerage founded in 2016.
🤝 Alabama Real Estate Investors Association – established in 2017, now the largest REIA in Alabama and one of the top networking groups in the country.
Brian shares his journey from investor to REAL ESTATE ENTREPRENEUR, lessons he’s learned along the way, and how he leverages hard money lending to scale and seize opportunities.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your portfolio, Brian’s insights on investing, networking, and building real estate businesses are invaluable.
💖 We want to say a special thank you to our sponsors for their continued support. Your partnership helps us share these valuable insights with the investing community.
👉 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode!

Wednesday Sep 17, 2025
Wednesday Sep 17, 2025
Welcome to Episode 13 of the CoreLend Podcast Series: The Investor’s Guide to Hard Money Lending!
🎙️ In this episode, we sit down with Rich Harrell, Project Manager at CoreBuild. Rich shares powerful insights from the field, lessons learned as a project manager, and real-world experiences using hard money loans to bring construction and investment projects to life.
Whether you're new to real estate investing or looking to scale, this conversation is packed with practical tips and first-hand knowledge you won’t want to miss.
💖 We want to say a special thank you to our sponsors for their continued support. Your partnership helps us share these valuable insights with the investing community.
👉 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode!

Wednesday Sep 03, 2025
Wednesday Sep 03, 2025
Welcome to Episode 12 of the CoreLend Podcast Series: The Investor’s Guide to Hard Money Lending! 🎙️
In this episode, we sit down with Douglas Skipworth, Founder and Principal Broker at CrestCore Realty, CEO of 6AM Core Collective, and Founder of CoreLend Financial. A seasoned real estate investor since 2003, Douglas shares powerful insights, lessons learned, and real-world experiences using hard money loans to fund successful real estate deals.
Whether you're new to real estate investing or looking to scale, this conversation is packed with tips you won’t want to miss.
👉 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode!

Wednesday Aug 27, 2025
Wednesday Aug 27, 2025
Welcome to Episode 11 of the CoreLend Podcast Series: The Investor’s Guide to Hard Money Lending!
🎙️ In this episode, we sit down with Gabe Long of New Western Alabama, a trusted CoreLend client and seasoned investor. Gabe walks us through his journey in real estate, from navigating distressed properties to creating profitable opportunities, and how hard money lending plays a crucial role in making these deals possible.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned investor looking to scale, Gabe’s insights will give you practical strategies and inspiration to grow your portfolio in today’s market.
💖 We want to say a special thank you to our sponsors for their continued support. Your partnership helps us share these valuable insights with the investing community.
👉 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode!

Wednesday Aug 20, 2025
Wednesday Aug 20, 2025
Welcome to a new episode of The Investor’s Guide to Hard Money Lending! 🎙️
In this episode, we sit down with Brandon Diaz, a seasoned real estate investor with active deals across Tennessee. Brandon shares his real-world insights on navigating risk, spotting smart investment opportunities, and leveraging hard money lending to scale effectively.
If you're looking to grow your portfolio or want to better understand how experienced investors operate in today’s market, this conversation is packed with value.
💖 We want to say a special thank you to our sponsors for their continued support. Your partnership helps us share these valuable insights with the investing community.
👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode!

Wednesday Aug 13, 2025
Wednesday Aug 13, 2025
Welcome to another episode of The Investor’s Guide to Hard Money Lending!
🎙️ In this episode, we’re joined by Sam King of The Sam King Appraisals, a trusted expert in the appraisal industry and a long-time partner of CoreLend.
We dive deep into the appraisal process as it relates to hard money lending—what appraisers are really looking for, how it impacts your funding, and what you need to know when evaluating deals. Sam also shares what investors often miss when researching rehab budgets and how to ensure you're not overpaying or under-improving a property.
If you're flipping houses, funding deals, or growing your real estate portfolio, this episode is packed with insights that could save you time and money.
👉 Be sure to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you never miss an expert episode!

Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
Welcome to Episode 8 of the CoreLend Podcast Series: The Investor’s Guide to Hard Money Lending!
🎙️ In this episode, we sit down with Stephen Zapalla and Shaun Stone, co-founders of Zapstone Properties based out of New York, share key insights of multifamily investing in Memphis, emphasizing the power of strong partnerships. They also break down how they utilized hard money lending to scale their real estate ventures and move closer to financial freedom.
Whether you're just starting out or already deep in the game, their experience offers valuable lessons for any real estate investor—especially in the multifamily space.
👉 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode!
▶️ Want more expert insights? Don’t stop here—check out our other episodes for more real-world strategies, investor stories, and tips on making hard money work for you.

Friday Jul 25, 2025
Friday Jul 25, 2025
In this episode of the Investor’s Guide to Hard Money Lending, we sit down with a seasoned Memphis real estate investor who shares her journey of building a successful portfolio of short-term rentals using hard money loans. She explains how strategic financing helped scale her business and offers practical Airbnb tips for those entering the market. Whether you're just starting or expanding your real estate strategy, this episode delivers valuable insights on funding short-term rentals, managing competitive Airbnb listings, avoiding common pitfalls, and growing your portfolio with speed and flexibility.







